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How to Tell the Age of Black Iron Skillets

Black cast-iron cookware can be found just about anywhere, from antique shops to yard sales. You may have a few pieces from your mother or grandmother, or you may have found the perfect frying pan at a thrift store. If you are interested in collecting old cast-iron cookware, be aware that copies and fakes abound. Unethical dealers make cast-iron pots look older than they really are by exposing them to water so rust forms on their surface. Use a cast-iron identification guide to help you determine a more accurate age of the cast-iron piece in question.

Things You'll Need

Cast-iron identification guides (online or book)

Instructions

- 1
  Exam the overall quality of the piece. Old cast-iron kitchenware generally has a better-made appearance than its modern-copy counterparts. The edges are streamlined, the handles are more detailed and any lettering or imagery is more clearly defined in the authentic older pieces than in the reproductions. The details may not be easy to exam, however, if the piece is coated with decades of carbonization from cooking. You may need to thoroughly clean the piece before you can see all the identification details.
- 2
  Identify the manufacturer. The manufacturer's name is usually stamped on the bottom of the piece. Griswold, Wagner, Lodge, Favorite, Columbus, Dixie, Excelsior, Piqua and Sidney are some of the most common names to look for.
- 3
  Look for any other identification information, such as the city where the piece was manufactured, the company's logo, and any other letters, numbers or symbols. Search the pot, pan or skillet to see if its size was marked. Research identification guides to locate these markings. In most guides, cast-iron pieces are usually categorized first by the name of the manufacturer and then by the identifying marks. Carefully compare the identification marks on your cast-iron piece to the images and descriptions found in the guide. If your piece is included in the guide, and if the quality of the piece appears to match the high-quality feel of older cast-iron work, then it is likely you have an authentic original.

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